1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mower deck housings and the various mechanisms coupled thereto, such as spindle housings and attachment brackets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional riding mower vehicles are provided with mower decks that house a rotating blade for the cutting of vegetation. Typically, these decks have been made of metal materials. Various structures are attached to the mower deck during operation. Spindle housings have typically been bolted or welded to the mower deck. Spindle housings support a plurality of bearings that receive a vertical spindle or shaft to which the horizontal cutting blade is attached. As the spindle rotates during cutting operation, the spindle housing holds the bearings and spindle in secure vertical position. Attachment brackets are also often bolted or welded to the mower deck. The attachment brackets define structure to which linkages may be coupled to attach the deck to a vehicle. Attachment bracketry are also bolted or welded to the deck for coupling anti-scalp wheels to the deck. Handles have been bolted or welded to conventional decks to provide a location for the operator to grab the mower deck, such as when the deck is removed from the vehicle.
Conventional mower decks therefore include a relatively large number of parts that must be separately formed and assembled during the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process is therefore a relatively time consuming and costly process. Since conventional mower decks couple a plurality of various structures to the deck, the possibility exists for the structures to become loosened after long periods of operation. Loose structure carried by the deck may generate an undesirable amount of noise. The structures may experience excessive stress and break once they become loosened from the deck, and may eventually come uncoupled from the deck. Another disadvantage of conventional mower decks is the cumulative effect of the tolerances of the various parts attached to the deck. The cumulative effect of tolerances and/or the mislocation of the various parts during assembly may cause the mower deck to run noisily, malfunction, or impair the performance of the mower.
Furthermore, conventional metal decks are painted to be visually pleasing and to protect the metal deck from corrosion and rust. The metal decks can become worn and scratched after periods of long use such that the paint is damaged. Once the paint is marred or damaged it no longer protects the metal from rust, and the deck is susceptible to early deterioration and failure.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a mower deck having a relatively small number of parts such that the manufacturing and assembly costs are relatively low. It would be desirable to provide a mower deck having a spindle housing and attachment brackets that will not come loose or unattached during operation. Also, it would be desirable to provide a mower deck that reduces the undesirable cumulative effect of tolerances of the various parts being coupled together, and that reduces the possibility of parts being mislocated during the manufacturing process. It would also be desirable to provide a mower deck that is resistant to wear and corrosion.